Giant deer that once roamed the prehistoric British Isles were thought to have been wiped out towards the end of the Ice Age.

But scientists have discovered that Irish elk lived on in Siberia for around 2,000 years after it was presumed they had gone extinct.

Tests on bones found scattered across the frozen Russian wilderness are rewriting the evolutionary history of the animal, which stood seven feet (two metres) tall and had majestic antlers with a 10 foot (three-metre) span.

Scientists have discovered that the Irish elk lived on in Siberia for around 2,000 years after it was presumed to have become extinct. This image shows the skull of the large moose- like animal

It had been assumed previously the moose-like animal, which was prevalent in Ireland and parts of continental Europe, was wiped out around 10,300 years ago along with the likes of sabre-tooth cats and giant sloths.

But tests carried out on remains have concluded that not only did the species travel to the other side of the world, but also survived for at least another two millennia.

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Analysis of bones unearthed in Western Siberia revealed they are just 8,800 years old and date back to about 6,800BC.

Dr Yaroslav Kuzmin, a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Geology and Mineralogy in Siberia, said the discovery will ‘significantly update’ theories on the deer's extinction, The Siberian Times reported.

It had been assumed previously the moose-like animal (illustrated), which was prevalent in Ireland and parts of continental Europe, was wiped out around 10,300 years ago along with sabre-tooth cats and giant sloths

It was thought that the last habitat of the species was in western and north Europe, including the British Isles and Scandinavia, 10,300 years ago (marked on the map at 1), but new analysis has shown that another population lived on in Western Siberia between 8,800 and 7,900 years ago (marked at 3)

‘Previously we knew that the population of the giant deer was being dramatically reduced from about 12,000 years ago,’ he said.

‘It was also known that the last habitat of the species in western and north Europe, including the British Isles and Scandinavia, was about 10,300 years ago.

‘But now we have shown that there were at least two habitats: the European and Siberian.’

A distant relative of the modern-day fallow deer, the Irish elk was a giant animal that lived solely on vegetation.

Tests on bones found scattered across the frozen Russian wilderness are re-writing the evolutionary history of the animal, which stood seven feet (two metres) tall and had majestic antlers with a 10 foot (three metre) span. A skeleton is shown left and diagram illustrating its height, right

Existence of Irish elks first became apparent in the 17th and 18th centuries when scientists realised that fossilised specimens did not belong to any living creature on Earth. An antler from a giant deer is shown

Neither an elk nor exclusive to Ireland, it was given its name because the most well-preserved fossils were located in peat bogs in the country.

Their existence first became apparent in the 17th and 18th centuries when scientists realised that fossilised specimens did not belong to any living creature on Earth.

Various studies concluded they became prevalent in Europe and parts of Asia and Africa.

A set of remains found in 1886 near Yekaterinburg, in the Urals region of Russia, were analysed in 2004 by Dr Anthony Stuart, who is now at Durham University. His team said they believed they dated back 7,500 years.

That theory has now been confirmed by new tests on other bones and fossils uncovered across Siberia over the past 15 years.

A distant relative of the modern-day fallow deer, the Irish elk was a giant animal that lived solely on vegetation. A fossil of its upper jaw bone is shown

The next step for the scientists in Russia is to compile data on every set of giant deer remains found in Siberia to see if that can provide further clues to the animal's evolution. A skeleton is shown

Among the remains examined as part of the new research were fragments of antlers discovered in Baraba steppe, in Western Siberia, and a jaw complete with teeth in a burial ground called Preobrazhenka 6 in the same region.

Both sets were found to be between 8,800 and 8,900 years old.

It means the Irish elk, presumed to have become extinct in Europe, was alive and well in Siberia thousands of years later.

The findings are published in the April edition of the journal, Quaternary Science Reviews.

The next step for the scientists in Russia is to compile data on every set of giant deer remains found in Siberia to see if that can provide further clues to the animal's evolution.

Dr Kuzmin said: ‘We do not know if the Siberian habitat was continuous or consisted of two separate sub-habitats: one in central Western Siberia and the Trans-Urals, and a second one in the middle course of the Angara River.

‘We need somehow to fill in the gaps in our knowledge about the giant deer habitat and its migration and so on.’